The Czech Consulate General in Erbil, serving Iraqi Kurdistan, issued an updated notice on 15 November 2025 clarifying how applicants should communicate with its visa section. While the consulate remains under heavy strain from labour-migration demand, officials reiterated that all requests for Schengen and long-term visa appointments must be sent exclusively to [email protected] – and not via social media or personal contacts.
The refreshed guidelines come amid reports that some sponsors have been bypassing formal channels, slowing processing for legitimate applications. The mission warned that incomplete or incorrectly formatted e-mails will not be answered.
![Erbil Consulate Updates Contact Procedures for Czech Visa Applicants – New E-mail Channel Confirmed]()
For multinational companies sourcing engineers, oil-and-gas specialists or interpreters from northern Iraq, the update provides a single point of entry and should streamline scheduling once applicants follow the template provided on the consulate website. However, mobility teams should expect month-long queues: anecdotal evidence suggests first-time appointments are currently running at six to eight weeks due to quota caps.
Notably, the Erbil post handles both Schengen short-stay visas and Czech national (long-term) visas, including employee-cards. Long-term applications require prior participation in a targeted economic-migration programme such as Highly Qualified Worker or Key & Scientific Personnel.
Assignees are advised to keep scans of passports and assignment letters under 5 MB per attachment and to quote their full name, purpose of stay and intended travel date in the subject line. Failure to do so may result in delayed responses or rejection of the booking request.
The refreshed guidelines come amid reports that some sponsors have been bypassing formal channels, slowing processing for legitimate applications. The mission warned that incomplete or incorrectly formatted e-mails will not be answered.
For multinational companies sourcing engineers, oil-and-gas specialists or interpreters from northern Iraq, the update provides a single point of entry and should streamline scheduling once applicants follow the template provided on the consulate website. However, mobility teams should expect month-long queues: anecdotal evidence suggests first-time appointments are currently running at six to eight weeks due to quota caps.
Notably, the Erbil post handles both Schengen short-stay visas and Czech national (long-term) visas, including employee-cards. Long-term applications require prior participation in a targeted economic-migration programme such as Highly Qualified Worker or Key & Scientific Personnel.
Assignees are advised to keep scans of passports and assignment letters under 5 MB per attachment and to quote their full name, purpose of stay and intended travel date in the subject line. Failure to do so may result in delayed responses or rejection of the booking request.
